Nobody's Heartless
by Astral Thatcher
Summary: Everyone has returned home from their adventure in The World That Never Was, but how will Riku explain to his friends that they didn't complete what they thought they had?
1. Chapter 1

**ELLO! So, yeah, first story on FanFic! Yay! **

**Ho, hum… This is where all the replies to the reviews that are given (if there are any) would go, but, y'know, since there aren't any… I'm just gonna kinda ramble aimlessly! =D Hooray!**

**So, I. Write. Love, are you bored yet? I know I would be. Sitting here reading this instead of the story… What are you doing? You crazy person. =p**

**WARNING to other readers: I'm going to be making a LOT of shout-outs to I. Write. Love, but it's just because I love her more than I do you. JUST KIDDING! I love all my readers! But I do actually know her in real life so… Yeah… AND she introduced me to yaoi and FFN, so, yeah (again!)… MOVIN' ON!**

**A note to Kairi haters: I WILL find a way to make sure that Kairi comes across as the whiny (insert word you want here) that she is, I promise you this! And, unfortunately, since Riku is taken, Sora will be with Kairi… I'M SORRY!**

**Making an appearance (or two):  
****Characters (besides the obvious that is):  
****The island gang; Sora, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, Kairi**

**Moosic:  
****Lost in Darkness - Escape the Fate~:heart:**

**So now that that's done with, ON WITH THE STORY! Enjoy, my friends! =D**

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**Chapter one~**

Leaning on the railing of the tree house, the silver-haired teen sighed, content as the wind beat against his back, throwing his long hair in front of his shoulders. The sunlight stroked his pale skin, a feeling he had missed so dearly after spending so much time with no light. He had grown accustomed to the darkness, and still enjoyed it, but his friends kept nagging him to get a tan.

"Hey, Riku!" Tidus called. Turquoise eyes turned to see his friends on the shore. "Get down here! We need a fourth player for blitz ball!"

"I'll be right there!" he yelled back. He sprinted down the ramps and ladders, making his way through the shifty earth. As he passed the two girls, Selphie and Kairi, Riku playfully kicked up sand to their backs, laughing the whole time. They began to pursue him, forcing him into the once calm, mirror-like ocean. He ran, bare-foot, through the cool water, allowing it to hit his face as it splashed up to meet him. Sora, Wakka, and Tidus soon joined the game, forgetting completely about blitz ball. Selphie soon caught up to the instigator, tackling him to no avail. She had only slowed him enough for Kairi to throw her weight against him as well, sending the three tumbling down into the blue sea.

The trio emerged from beneath the gentle waves, soaked to the bone; Riku laughing uncontrollably while the girls made their way back to dry land, shivering as a gust worsened the chill on their dampened skin. Sora and the others slowed next to Riku.

"What's the matter, girls?" Riku managed between breaths.

"You're dead, Riku!" Kairi warned with a trembling voice, taking away from the threat. "It's gonna take hours in the shower to get this salt water out of my hair!"

Riku glanced to his own drowned bangs that dangled in front of his eyes. He tucked the strands behind his ear, and began following the rest of the group back to the sandy beach. "Well, it's not my fault! You two pushed me over, remember?" He beamed.

"You were supposed to hold us up!" Kairi yelled, stomping her foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Well, that's too damn bad." Riku stuck his tongue out at her, mimicking the child-like behavior, earning himself a slap on the shoulder. "Aw… Poor, little Kairi can't even reach my face, huh?" he taunted with a goofy grin, hands on hips.

"That's it!" Dripping, Kairi leapt onto the tallest boy's back, striving to wrestle him to the ground. Just to mess with her, he started spinning in a circle at full speed. She screamed, begging him to stop and let her get off his back. As he did, they both fell to the ground, laughing. Selphie stood behind them, wringing out her hair. Sora, Tidus, and Wakka sat on the sand, watching the ordeal.

"Hey, man," Wakka began. "What 'appened to our game o' blitz ball?" Everyone else groaned in response, too exhausted from their pursuit. Wakka _would _be the only one who had enough energy. He laughed. "Tomorrow then, huh?"

The six of them sat, looking out over the ocean, watching the sun as it slowly hid itself behind the horizon. Soon, only Riku, Sora, and Kairi remained, gazing at the full moon, already high above their heads. Sora and Kairi laid in the sand, hands intertwined. Riku sat apart from them, feeling like the odd one out, but he didn't mind. He had grown accustomed to solitude and aloneness. Like everybody, he wanted it on occasion, but not all the time.

Riku longed to have someone like Sora had Kairi, or like Tidus had Selphie, but no one had ever really stood out from the rest to him. He sighed.

"Everything all right, Riku?" Sora asked, lifting his head to look in his direction.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he reassured.

Sora gave him a disbelieving look, but Kairi interrupted. "What time is it?"

"About nine, why?" Riku answered, quick to take the chance for a change of subject.

"Crap! I was supposed to be home by now. Sora, will you take me?"

"Sure, Kai. Riku, you comin'?"

"No, I think I'll stay here for a while." The teen sat up, supporting the weight of his torso on his arms as his friends stood.

"Okay, then. See ya tomorrow," Sora told him as he turned to leave.

"Hey, Sora. You staying at Kairi's tonight? I wanna know where to look for you when I have to get your lazy ass outta bed to come down here in the morning."

"Oh, come on, Riku! Yes, I had planned on it, but if I do I won't be able to get up that early!"

Riku smirked. "Alright, then. I won't get you up _too_ early," he chuckled. Sora rolled his eyes, and waved goodbye. The single teen rummaged through his pocket for his mp3 player. Turquoise eyes searched through the list of songs, searching for one in particular by Escape the Fate. Skipping to the chorus of the song, he listened closely to the lyrics:

_Crying out in vain, but no one knows how to find you  
__You're lost in darkness  
__Crying out in vain, but no one knows how to reach you  
__You're lost in darkness again_

It reminded him so much of those endless hours spent in the realm of darkness, and for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking of those words. He replayed the song again and again, unable to bring himself to tap the 'skip' button. Not knowing how long he had hypnotically stared at the waves, Riku stood, sighing. _I guess I should head home, _he thought.

Riku sauntered toward the small boat that was pulled up on shore, Escape the Fate still blasting in his ears. A sudden chill ran up his spine as he placed a hand on the wood. The familiar feeling churned his stomach. Something was about to happen; something big. But what was it?

_Cool it. You're freaking yourself out over nothing, _he told himself, doubting his power of persuasion when he was talking to himself. He continued to push the small boat to the water - still uneasy - and left for home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, again, readers! At least… Ones that I hope I'm not imagining. ^w^' There haven't been any reviews (besides the one from 'Roxas') on the first chapter yet, so that means more rambling! =D**

**Okay, so as far as the first chapter goes, I'm sooooooo terribly sorry for the length! I had really bad writer's block (it's a bitch) so I couldn't do much else with it. Again, I'M SO SORRY! -kicks self multiple times- I promise this one will be longer!**

**To I. Write. Love: **Stop drinking so much Dr. Pepper, and maybe you'll get more sleep! =p A reply to your review: I have to be nice to them, too! You don't show me any more love than you do for your other readers so -sticks tongue out- I'M SORRY ABOUT SOKAI, okay? Please, go ahead, kill me. I'm already gonna be a zombie just writing that… ;.; Hooray for Riku not being emo! Wait… That's not necessarily a good thing… Emo guys are hot. As for my – non-existent – grammar mistakes, I PAY ATTENTION IN ENGLISH CLASS! And I reread what I type, looking for stuff like that, unlike some people. =p And my last word on this subject: STALKER! xD

**Making an appearance:  
**_**Characters:**_**  
**Riku, Sora, Tidus, Wakka, Kairi, Selphie, Mystery Voice/Figure~

_**Moosic:**_**  
**None...

**DISCLAIMER: **If I owned KH, the only organization members that would still be dead are Xemnas, Saix, Xaldin, and Larxene. (Xigbar is questionable… Vexen for I. Write. Love's sake would still exist...)

**Microsoft Word wants to change "Xigbar" into "cigar"… OH YEAH! =D And… Emo to emu… O3o Bring on tha birdie! =D**

**Dern Shadows! -bonks one on head- GET AWAY FROM MY FRUIT-EH LOOPS! }=O**

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**Chapter two~**

His eyes flashed open as he bolted to an upright position in bed, sweat causing the sheets to cling to his bare, heaving chest. Quick, uneven breaths filled his lungs. Growing tired of waking up in this manor, Riku threw the covers away from him, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Eyelids bolted together, he rested his face in his hands. _How many nights in a row can this happen? Ever since I got that feeling on the island a few days ago, I've been waking up like this every night. _He thought back. The feeling he had that night had been reoccurring, forcing him awake any time he was beginning to get some decent sleep.

Riku glanced over to his alarm clock. 2:46 A.M. He cursed. _Why the hell is this happening? It feels just like… _He inhaled. Silver hair hit his face as he whipped his head around to gaze out the window, the smallest island in sight. Panicking, he leapt off the bed, grabbing the nearest shirt off of his desk. The teen almost tripped down the stairs while trying to pull on his shoes. He rushed through the front door, and sprinted to the pier where his boat was tied.

Arriving at the island, Riku saw that it was vacant. _Then why did I smell one of them? _He inhaled again, the only scent he detected being the salty spray of the ocean. Confused, he made his way through the seaside shack, and up to his customary place at the crooked paopu tree.

For hours he remained, slipping in and out of consciousness, knowing what was going through his thoughts at one moment, and the next, everything was completely forgotten. He stretched along the length of the trunk, and allowed his eyes to tauntingly slip closed, welcoming much needed sleep.

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Riku woke to the sun shining brightly in his face, blinding him as he attempted opening his eyes. He faced away from it to discover a spectator to his doze.

"Um, Riku?" a brunette began. "What are you doing out here?"

Sleepily, the silver-haired boy rubbed his eye as he yawned. "I fell asleep here after coming to down to check on…" He caught himself before he let the words pass his lips. Fumbling for the rest of the sentence, he began to stutter. "O-on, um. On uh…"

"Check on what?" Sora asked.

"Nothing," Riku told him, with a smile.

"Okay, well I think Tidus and I were going to have a few races. Would you… like to join us?" The older boy could hear the hesitation in his voice, knowing he didn't believe his façade.

"Maybe later," he told him, growing indifferent.

"Okay, then." Slowly, Sora crept his way back down to the competitor that awaited him.

Riku sighed, relieved, laying back on familiar tree. Guilt welled up inside him, for lying to his best friend. But he knew that if he uttered a word about what could even possibly be true, they would all worry and constantly glace over their shoulders, paranoid, just as he did. How the hell was he supposed to explain that one of _them _may still be lurking in the shadows?

He felt a sharp pain in his back from sleeping in the wrong position on the paopu tree. Wanting to get up and stretch, he left the tree behind, and made his way to the platform of the tree house.

"Riku!" Tidus called from, what appeared to be, a starting line in the sand. "C'mon! Race with us while you're here?" He sighed, giving in to their wishes.

The trio took a runner's stance as Wakka began the typical, "On your mark. Get set." They anticipated the next two-letter word. "GO!" he yelled. They took off, Riku quickly taking the lead. Having the longest legs of the group helped immensely. For once in the last week, he felt truly free of all burdens he carried, as the wind brushed his long silver hair, and the sand shifted beneath his feet.

Just as he neared the finish line, where Selphie and Kairi waited, cheering their own boyfriend on, Riku stopped dead in his tracks, clutching his head as a voice that wasn't his own entered it, causing an agonizing throb for the teenager.

'_Hello, Riku,' the low voice chuckled._

Tidus and Sora flashed by him, concentrating on the race.

'_It has been far too long.'_

Riku fell to the sand, his head wrapped in his arms, his vision blinking to black.

_Wh-who…_ was all he could manage to the stranger.

Sora was at the line, celebrating his victory, until he noticed silver hair as it writhed in the sand. Wakka was already racing up to him.

'_Do not tell me you have forgotten already.' Another low chuckle shook the boy's thoughts. 'After all, it has only been a year. Naminé did well.'_

_Tell me… who you are… dammit!_

The others ran to Riku's side, mouthing words, but he couldn't hear them. The intensity of his headache forbade it.

'_You will remember soon enough.'_

The connection of their thoughts was terminated, and Riku, weakened by the conversation, fell unconscious.

* * *

Riku awoke to water being splashed onto his face, and five pairs of eyes looking down at him, nervously. _Great,_ he thought. _How the hell am I going to explain this?_ Somewhat disoriented, he sat up cautiously.

"What happened?" he pretended to wonder, attempting a clueless tone.

"Why don't you tell us?" Kairi retorted.

"Well, you just passed out with a pained look on your face." Selphie informed. "Are you feeling okay?"

He stared at his outstretched legs and nodded slowly, allowing his mind to process the strange experience. The last thing he knew he was winning the race, when he heard a familiar voice that caused the worst migraine he had ever had. What had the voice even said? And whose was it? For the life of him, he couldn't remember. Hadn't the voice said something about "a year"? So many questions nagged at his thoughts, soon interrupted by Sora.

"C'mon, Riku. How 'bout we get you home?"

"No," he replied. "I'm fine. I promise. I wanna stay here for a while longer."

"Riku you need to get some rest," Selphie coaxed.

"I just passed out. Believe me when I say I got plenty of it." The girl reached for his hand, and held it up in the air, displaying the trembling limb.

"You need to get in bed, or get something to eat to get your strength back," Tidus advised.

"I'm telling you I don't need any of that," he snapped, growing annoyed.

"Damn your hard head, Riku!" Sora yelled. Everyone was silent, stunned by the sudden change of vocabulary for the brunette. "How do you expect us to just fucking sit here with you like this?"

"I'm asking you to understand that I know my limits!" Riku lifted himself from the ground, quickly enough to cause a head-rush, but he regained his balance in time before landing back in the sand. He pushed through the diminutive crowd, and made his way to his original destination; the tree house.

_What's wrong with me? _In truth, going home sounded like a marvelous idea, but hearing the voice had made him uneasy and he wanted to stay with his friends to help protect them if necessary.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set as Riku watched Sora and Tidus continue their line of races that had been going on throughout the day. So far they had each won the same amount as the other, and he could hear them yelling that the next one decided the champion.

It ended as a tie, and even from his height he could hear them arguing about who the victor was. Riku couldn't help but chuckle as they began rough-housing in the sand. He watched when they both collapsed on the ground, exhausted from their physical activity.

Selphie crouched down next to Tidus, taking his hand and striving to push his dead-weight to a sitting position. Kairi did the same for Sora who was a little more willing to get up sooner. Solemnly Riku looked on as the five of them sauntered to the boats. He saw Sora gaze up at him, a sullen expression on his face. The older teenager stared back before Kairi noticed what her boyfriend was doing, and took his hand, leading him in the direction of home.

Riku sighed. His hair continuously whipped him in the face, so he took a hair band from around his wrist and tied it back in a messy ponytail at the nape of his neck. Leaning his hip against the banister, he folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, concentrating on his other senses; the wind against his skin, the smell and taste of the salty sea spray, and the sound of the waves, gently brushing against the shore.

Through his nostrils, a new smell began to mix with that of the sea. Riku assumed it wouldn't last long, but it lingered. It grew stronger and more potent. That's when he realized, it was the same as the night before. The pungent scent of a Nobody; more specifically, a Nobody from the Organization.

He followed the too familiar odor, racing to find it before it disappeared once again. _What happened? I thought they were all destroyed! _Though he was still weak from earlier that day, he didn't slow until he discovered where the smell was coming from.

_The secret place… _Riku stared at the small opening to the cavern with wide, turquoise eyes. _That bastard… How could he taint such a sacred place to us? _With clenched fists, Riku entered the cave. In the small tunnel, he took a calming breath, remembering the last time he was there. It had caused the destruction of his world and the corruption of his heart.

The silver-haired male tried to forget his past as he came to the opening. As assumed, there stood the cloaked figure, waiting for him.

"Hello again, Riku. It has been far too long."


End file.
